‘Friends’,
a popular US show, which followed the fortunes of six close friends living in
New York, aired from 1994 until 2004 and became a cultural touchstone of the
era. In Goa, the show has been telecasted through reruns and is now on
streaming channels. The iconic six consists of Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox,
Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry. Each with their
our traits and quirks not only entertained the audience but also imparted
important life lessons on dealing with problems and being positive.
Unfortunately,
no one was ready to bid the show goodbye and even worse to lose a cast member
in real life. The fans were left devastated when the news broke that Matthew
Perry who played the role of Chandler had passed away. The news of Perry’s
passing was confirmed as the actor was found dead in his Los Angeles home of an
apparent drowning. The disbelief was followed by tributes pouring in from the
cast and crew of the show, ‘Friends’ as well as the film fraternity and the
fans.
In Goa
too, the show had a huge impact on the audience with almost three generations
growing up watching the show and its reruns. Channel surfing would immediately
stop at any episode of ‘Friends’ that was playing on the television. Chandler
Bing had so many layers and his bond with the other members of ‘Friends,’ made
one feel like they were their friends too.
Vaibhav
Salgaonkar was one of the first Goan artists to create an artwork as a tribute
to Matthew Perry. “I started watching ‘Friends’ somewhere in 2015 and I was
instantly a fan. This show was so entertaining that I finished watching it within
a few weeks. While all the characters were entertaining in their own rights,
one person that stood out was Chandler Bing. His jokes came out of nowhere. His
sarcastic comments are some of the best quotes you’ll ever hear. His
personality in the show had a different aura that you could relate to. For
example, being annoyed with other’s stupidity, sometimes a person who comes up
with silly lines while trying to flirt with a girl, being awkward in front of
the camera and many other things. His bond with Joey was another beautiful
thing to watch. He was dealing with a lot behind the scenes but he never
stopped putting a smile on our face. It broke my heart when I heard the news of
his demise. His memories will forever be with us. His legacy will be remembered
by an entire generation of fans. Rest in Peace, Matthew Perry,” says Vaibhav.
Amit
Naik, better known by his stage name Waking Grunt is an Indian rapper, singer,
lyricists, who has been rapping in Konkani since 2015. Chandler Bing had a huge
impact on him too. “Matthew Perry’s death has really shocked a part within me.
Chandler Bing is one of the inseparable characters he played in ‘Friends’.
Matthew’s performance in the show came as that guy, who would be sarcastically
wanting to be serious but very naturally came out in a funny way. Thereby,
making him likeable in his own way. Bing’s character was the most sorted
character portrayed comically with a humane touch. I personally feel he gave
strong messages to the audience. Be it at his workplace, with his friends, with
his romantic partner, his parents or his wife or when he was in the phase of
becoming a surrogate parent,” says Amit.
He
further adds, “There are a lot of subtle things about him to remember but
hereafter when you’ll see Matthew portray this character ‘Chandler Bing’, the
laugh that’ll escape your mouth with some tears spilling from the corner of
your eyes is what he made us feel, something which no writing could describe.
That whole experience, that legacy is what he leaves behind for the world and
that I suppose makes him a profound actor, a true artist.”
Could we
be more heartbroken? asks husband and wife duo Ashley and Ninoshka Delaney.
“The news of the passing of Matthew Perry came to us as a shock. He played the
beloved character Chandler Bing in Friends that we 90s kids grew up watching.
His shy, awkward character made him so relatable and his comedic timing was
impeccable. His dialogue delivery was so unique that it came through in every
character and role that he played even beyond ‘Friends’. We still have all the
seasons of ‘Friends’ on CDs which we will never tire of watching. Through
‘Friends’, he has been a part of many generations and will continue to live
through the lovable characters that he has played. Farewell Matthew Perry! Thanks
for all the times that you’ve made us laugh,” says Ashley from Saligao.
Tanya
Carvalho Fernandes, from Siolim who runs the Edricia Farm, a centre for
learning traditional Goan arts, has been a huge fan of ‘Friends’. “Chandler
Bing and all his friends have been a happy, funny part of our lives of
literally three generations now. I say this as ‘Friends’ has been the greatest
sitcom of all time. We are the generation who has been faithfully watching
reruns after reruns and so have our parents and our kids. ‘Friends’ is the only
show which can be watched over and over again but it never fails to make you
laugh and feel light. It was shocking and sad to know about the sudden passing
away of Mathew Perry. He was the one who the audiences connected with the most.
He was the funniest of them all and played his role with perfection even though
he was struggling with various vices. My friend forever, you will be missed
forever too,” says Tanya.